Construction at Aurora Cannabis facility in Medicine Hat

By Chantal Wagner

Construction continues

Update on Medicine Hat’s Aurora Cannabis facility following layoffs and CEO resigning

Feb 7, 2020 | 5:18 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – First announced in April 2018, Aurora Cannabis planned to bring a lot of green to Medicine Hat – a 1.2 million square foot facility producing 150 thousand kilograms of cannabis per year.

Fast forward to today and things have taken a drastic turn.

Construction has slowed as the company announced last fall it now planned to open six flower rooms.

On Thursday, CEO Terry Booth resigned and 500 lay-offs were just announced.

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Aurora Cannabis declined our request for an interview.

But Mayor Ted Clugston says he spoke to Aurora on Friday and they indicated Aurora Sun is a priority.

“The place still is under construction and they do intend to finish the six bays that they always intended to finish which was in their November announcement,” he said.

Aurora Sun was expected to employ 750 people in Medicine Hat, making it the city’s second-largest employer.

And Clugston admits recent developments are concerning, “This is a big deal for the city and myself as well because I have been making a big deal about Aurora coming.”

Meantime, a local cannabis retailer says they get a lot of Aurora products and want to support a provincial company, but the job cuts are a downfall.

The assistant manager of The Leaf Derek Hintz says, “Any layoffs in the province will have a trickle-down effect in sales in the end. As far as product there’s product available and we’re hoping for more products becoming available with the new facility.”

Another retailer agrees products are available and doesn’t expect a shortage as there are more licensed producers (LP’s).

“We are seeing a lot more of the craft growers coming on so there are more LP’s coming to the market as well,” said the general manager and co-owner of The Green Exchange Terra Weber.

According to Clugston this facility has value for Medicine Hat no matter what happens going forward.

“I mean you don’t build a $100 – $200 million greenhouse and walk away from it. It could change hands, you never know what’s going to happen but there’s a state of the art facility there that will have value to somebody.”